[Buddha-l] Religious, But is it the power of Kings?

[L.S. Cousins]

Dear Dan,

Bob's comment:
>  > The text books seem in agreement that Buddhism was first introduced into
>>  Japan from Korea at the highest levels.

Well, yes, that's the problem.

Dan's remarks:
>That's basically right, Bob. From the start, Japanese Buddhism was quite
>literally the property of ruling class. The govt. built the temples,
>controlled ordination, and supervised overseas contacts. Major monasteries
>eventually developed their own military components, and were major players.
>It was various forms of Pure Land that initially attracted wider popular
>support (with their own peasant revolts and militaries), and that was after
>the ruling elite had already been patronizing various forms of Buddhism for
>some time.

I didn't wish to suggest that there was _very wide_ popular support 
in the initial period. Had there been, we would probably know about 
it. But there are good reasons for a critical approach to dynastic 
and aristocratic accounts of this kind of thing.

A classical example would be the reintroduction of Christianity to 
England. This is basically portrayed in the literary sources as the 
result of Augustine's mission (at papal instigation) and the 
conversion of a Saxon king. This was no doubt part of it. Yet in fact 
we know that the actual process was far more complex.

In the Buddhist world we get this kind of statement e.g. in relation 
to Ceylon: Mahinda converted the king and the island. Quite apart 
from the issue as to whether this account is true at all, it seems 
unlikely that there was no previous presence of Buddhism. In the 
third century B.C. and before the Sinhalese (or some of them) spoke 
what is basically the same language as the North Indians and must 
have been in constant trading contact with them.

Part of the problem here is that many scholars of Buddhism tend to 
underestimate the emotional appeal of Buddhism in general or of 
non-Mahaayaana Buddhism in particular. Yet whenever we actually have 
solid information we get a very different picture. Compare the 
inscriptions at Sanchii for example.

Lance Cousins